Julian Reed and I were childhood sweethearts. I had a stepfather, and he had a stepmother. We depended on each other as we grew up. He said he liked to wander, so I wandered with him. I thought we would be together forever. Until, in that dilapidated rental apartment, I saw Julian shirtless with my own eyes, bending down to pick up another woman’s underwear. I asked him why. He didn’t answer, just told the woman to get dressed and leave. After a long time, he said he wanted freedom. And I was his biggest lack of freedom. The day he left, I gave him a kite. I said, “I wish you freedom.” 1 I had imagined the scene of my reunion with Julian countless times. But I never expected it to happen under these circumstances. The hospital called me using Julian’s phone, saying he had been in a car accident and asked if I could come. Only then did I learn that Julian had returned to the city at some point. In the bustling metropolis, the streets were still busy even in the early hours of the morning. I rushed to the hospital, asked for Julian’s bed number, and hurried over. In a not-so-spacious single room, a woman with a good figure stood by the bed with her back to me, her tone coquettish: “Julian, I was the first to rush over to visit you. Aren’t I good to you?” “Yeah, you’re the best to me.” The familiar voice rang out. I stood frozen on the spot, blinking, and withdrew the hand that was about to push the door open. Julian and I hadn’t been in touch for a few years. The breakup was heart-wrenching back then, but time has always been a healing medicine. Now when I think of him, my emotions rarely fluctuate. But hearing that familiar voice suddenly, I realized that maybe it wasn’t that I didn’t love him anymore, but that the feelings were too heavy, forcibly sealed away by me. I didn’t dare enter the ward. I asked the nurse for Julian’s hospitalization number and paid his fees. After leaving the hospital, I parked my car on the roadside and smoked for a long time. I had been a good student and a good girl since childhood. Smoking was the only bad habit I inherited from Julian, learned only after breaking up with him. Work pressure has increased over the years, and so has my addiction to smoking. After finishing half a pack, my mind wasn’t any clearer. Instead, I choked on the last puff and coughed violently. How pathetic. I leaned against the steering wheel and smiled bitterly. Logically, I should have appeared in front of Julian looking glamorous, saying “Long time no see” casually. But I didn’t even dare to look at him with my own eyes. Just hearing his voice made me flee in panic. Maybe I am a bit cheap, loving nothing more than offering my sincere heart to be trampled on. 2 I secretly visited Julian a few more times later and asked his attending physician about his condition. Julian’s ward was lively. No matter when I went, there was always someone by his bed, men or women, chattering away. This was expected. Julian had been popular since childhood. Wherever he went, people would soon gather around him in a circle. He had always been the center of attention. The last time I went to the attending physician, the doctor rubbed his temples with a headache: “Actually, the patient in Bed 2 isn’t seriously injured, just a minor fracture and a mild concussion. He’s recovering very well. “I know you care about him, but can you send a representative to ask about his condition? Otherwise, I have to repeat the same thing five, six, seven, eight times a day. Isn’t it affecting other patients’ families consulting about conditions?” I didn’t dare say I wasn’t actually a family member, so I could only apologize repeatedly and back out of the doctor’s office. Then I made eye contact with Julian, who was walking in the corridor. Three people were with him: one holding the IV drip, one supporting his arm, and another following leisurely. It looked quite like stars surrounding the moon. I also heard Julian say with disdain: “I’m injured, not crippled. Can you let go of me? I can walk by myself!” As soon as he finished speaking, he saw me. I only hated that the hospital corridor was too wide, leaving my panic and awkwardness nowhere to hide. Standing there for a while, I finally spoke first: “Long time no see.” “Julian, who’s this?” Julian looked at me, his expression indifferent: “Someone from my hometown.” “Looking so affectionate, I thought it was your ex-girlfriend.” Julian and I had depended on each other for over twenty years. I wore his only down jacket; he wore my only scarf. We shared a plate of egg fried rice and slept under the same quilt. Now, we were just people from the same hometown. I clutched my phone tightly and turned to leave. Julian stopped me: “Wait.” He asked if I had paid his hospitalization fees. “I saw the call log with you on my phone. The hospital called you, right?” Julian said. “Are you still using that bank card? I’ll transfer it directly to you.” “No need.” I refused. “If anything, I should transfer money to you.” Julian paused. “I spent so much of your money back then, I feel quite embarrassed. Give me a card number, I’ll pay you back.” Hearing this, Julian’s friend laughed: “Thinking of paying back after so many years? So insincere? How much interest do you plan to give?” Julian glared at that person, his expression cold. “Ignore him.” Julian said, “No need to pay back.” I scratched my head and said, “I have to pay it back.” I never had a psychological burden using Julian’s money before. I accepted everything he bought me as a matter of course. At that time, I felt we were family. His money was mine, and when I made money later, it would naturally be his. But since we’ve separated, financial dealings should be settled clearly. 3 Julian didn’t give me his card number, but I still went to the bank to print a statement. The next day, I gathered my courage and went to the hospital with the bank card. But Julian’s ward was empty. Actually, I knew Julian wouldn’t accept it. I just wanted an excuse to see him again. But he didn’t leave me a single chance. Once he discovered my presence, he vanished without a trace. Sometimes I couldn’t help wondering what I did wrong. I never threw tantrums or made scenes with him. Just how much did he hate me to avoid me like the plague? “Compared to manipulative scumbag women, men actually hate submissive love-brains more. Like a plaster you can’t shake off, clingy and disgusting.” In the bar, my friend downed her cocktail in one gulp and poked my forehead: “Talking about you, love-brain! “Sometimes I really want to dissect your brain to see its structure. How can you be so devoted and unrepentant to a man rotten to the core!” I held my glass and refuted her seriously: “First, I’m not a love-brain. Except for Julian, I’ve never loved another man in my life. Second, Julian isn’t a rotten person. He’s especially good.” My friend rolled her eyes in disgust: “Seriously, I thought after so many years you’d at least sober up a bit. Didn’t expect you haven’t changed at all. Hopeless. Suggest burying you alive.” I smiled and stopped refuting her. Every friend of mine has scolded me for not being clear-headed. I also explained to every friend that I’m not unclear-headed; I know exactly what I’m doing. I’m not a love-brain. Julian was really, really good to me before. “Every love-brain says that. But look at what Julian did? Cheated, two-timed, hooked up with another woman in your rented apartment, blocked your number. You begged him to reconcile, waited at the bar entrance for a whole week, and he didn’t even show his face.” “You don’t understand. Without Julian, not only would I not have gone to college, I wouldn’t even be alive today.” I downed half a bottle of wine. My alcohol tolerance has grown over the years, but mixing red, white, and beer tonight made me a bit tipsy. I lay on the bar counter, pulling my friend’s arm and pointing at the male dancers dancing hotly in the center of the dance floor: “My tuition and living expenses for four years of college were earned by Julian dancing night after night like that. “He could earn six thousand a month back then. Five hundred for rent, five hundred for living expenses, and the rest was spent on me. “He actually got into college, but my parents didn’t want to pay for my education. Julian said, anyway, the college he got into wasn’t good, so he wouldn’t study. He went to work to support me. “After college graduation, my parents wanted me to marry someone for the dowry. Julian borrowed from all his friends to gather the dowry money. “So I am Julian’s wife. He paid the dowry; I’m going to marry him.” The music was still noisy, but my friend seemed drunk, lying beside me without a word. I was quiet for a long time, then said: “So, actually, it’s normal for Julian to want to leave. I, this burden, dragged him down for too long.” 4 My friend was drunk unconscious. I downed the last half bottle of wine and scanned the code to pay. When I stood up, my gaze accidentally swept across the bar entrance, and my pupils dilated instantly. It was Julian! He wore a low-key black hoodie and a mask, but I still recognized him at a glance. He didn’t see me and walked straight to a lively booth. Someone cleared the center seat for him to sit. I saw Julian take off his mask and casually accept a beer handed to him. A young woman leaned close to Julian with a smile, saying something to him. Julian nodded absently, responding casually. Before, I never got jealous. I was too certain. I felt nothing and no one could separate Julian and me. I knew Julian’s charm clearly, but was also incredibly confident in his loyalty to me. When did it start? The fact that Julian didn’t love me anymore. I still remember after Julian said he wanted to break up, he never returned to the rental apartment. I went to the bar where he worked to find him, called every friend of his, even ran to their homes asking if they knew where Julian went. I sent him many messages, wanting to ask what went wrong with our relationship, if we could talk properly, and I would change whatever needed changing. I said I didn’t mind him playing with other girls, asked him not to be angry. Later, I only worried about his safety. I said he didn’t need to reply to me, just reply once to let me know he was safe. Finally, I really had no choice. At 3 AM at the bar entrance, I sat on the steps cold all over, holding the phone with both hands, typing the message word by word with stiff fingers. [I agree to break up. Go home, let’s deal with the apartment.] Ten minutes later, Julian appeared beside me. So he had been there all along. Standing not too near nor too far, looking at me coldly. At that moment, I felt as if I had never known him. Julian rented that apartment. He said he would leave soon and had prepaid three months’ rent. I could continue to live there or discuss ending the lease with the landlord. He left very decisively. When leaving, he just carried a black backpack containing his wallet and ID. He took nothing else. I walked him downstairs, still wearing the couple pajamas we bought together at the wholesale market. I handed him a small kite charm and said with a smile, “I wish you freedom.” Julian, do you feel free enough now?

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After collaborating with the nation’s hottest heartthrob, his obsessed fangirls dragged me so hard I almost quit the industry. Drunk and scrolling through hate comments during a livestream, I finally snapped: “Leo Sterling? Please. He’s nothing. I trained that guy like a puppy back in the day.” “If he wanted to be my dog now, I’d have to think twice!” The haters lost their minds, calling me a clout-chaser. Until one day, a grainy video from my elementary school playground surfaced online. It showed a ten-year-old me, confidently walking two boys across the grass on literal leashes. One of them was the untouchable A-list star, Leo Sterling. The internet imploded. 【Is this really our brooding, high-cold king?】 【Holy hell, he’s actually panting for her. Get this girl a training manual!】 1 Back in the day, I was the undisputed queen of the playground. In elementary school, we had “Pet Responsibility Week.” The teachers asked us to bring in small animals to learn about care and commitment. Everyone showed up with cute goldfish or tiny turtles in plastic terrariums. My parents, however, were total germaphobes. They wouldn’t let a single stray hair in the house, let alone let me bring a living creature to school. Watching the other kids show off their bunnies and lizards made me so jealous I actually started sobbing. There was a new kid sitting next to me—pale, skinny, and incredibly shy. His name was Leo. He had brought a tiny hamster. Seeing me devastated, he whispered, “Do you… do you want to pet him?” That only made it worse. I wailed louder. He panicked. “Don’t cry! I didn’t mean to make it worse!” The whole class was staring. He looked terrified, like he’d committed a crime. “Please stop crying,” he pleaded. “If it helps… I’ll be your pet. Okay?” I sniffled. “For real?” He nodded solemnly. “For real.” “What kind of animal do you like?” I thought about my neighbor’s Golden Retriever—the way it always ran up to lick my hand. “A dog,” I said. “I like dogs.” Leo took a deep breath. “Fine. I’ll be your dog.” 2 Once I had my “dog,” I became insufferable. I’d tell everyone, “Look, this is my pet.” Leo would stand obediently behind me, head down, letting the other kids stare in shock. “That’s just a boy,” one kid mocked, holding up a turtle. “Is your dog as cute as my turtle?” I lost it. “Who cares about cute? Can your turtle bark? Does it understand English?” I took a piece of candy from my pocket, tossed it across the yard, and patted Leo’s shoulder. “Go get it, boy!” Leo’s ears turned bright red. He hesitated, then trotted over, picked up the candy, and placed it in my palm. “Good boy!” I ruffled his hair and smirked. The other kid looked like he was about to cry from envy. “Whatever,” he muttered. I wasn’t done. I gestured to the ground. “Sit!” Leo obeyed instantly, squatting next to my leg. He nudged his head against my hand and gave a soft, “Woof.” I unwrapped a chocolate and fed it to him. “Such a good boy.” Leo’s thin face flushed red. He took the chocolate and leaned against my leg, treating me like his entire world. The crowd was stunned. A dog that could talk? The turtles were suddenly trash. Leo was the perfect pet. He’d sit when told, and he’d even lick my hand if I told him to. Soon, other kids were approaching him, asking if he’d be their dog too. Leo, usually quiet, would look up from his notebook with a cold gaze. “Get lost,” he’d snap. My heart soared. He only had one owner. To reward him, I gave him all my snacks. “Since you took my snacks, you’re officially mine forever. No other owners.” He blushed, clutching the cookies. “Then you’re only allowed to have me,” he whispered shyly. “Deal!” I didn’t notice my cousin, Austin, standing by the door, looking absolutely horrified. 3 After school, Austin blocked my way. “Why do you give him all the snacks? I’m your cousin!” “Second cousin,” I reminded him. He didn’t care. He literally dropped to the sidewalk. “I want snacks too! It’s not fair!” “What do you want, Austin?” I groaned. He stood up, hands on his hips. “I want to be your dog too!” I couldn’t get rid of him, so I agreed. To earn his treats, Austin went full method. He found an old rope, tied it around his neck, and handed me the end. “Walk me to school tomorrow,” he commanded. At ten years old, I saw zero issues with this. I walked Austin the next morning. He was committed—crawling on all fours, sniffing the grass. I held the rope, trying to keep up. Passersby stared in absolute silence. I didn’t know what those stares meant yet. I just felt famous. When we arrived, a crowd gathered. “Another one?” a girl asked. “What about Leo? Are you dumping him?” I felt a pang of guilt. “No, Leo is still my dog.” Austin jumped up. “No! I’m the only one!” The kids cheered. What a loyal hound! I looked at Leo, who was standing nearby, looking hurt. “But I like Leo too…” Austin leaned in and whispered, “You don’t want your parents to know you’re ‘keeping pets’ at school, do you?” I froze. My germaphobe parents would kill me. “Please don’t tell them,” I begged. “Then tell me. Who’s the best dog in the world?” “You are.” “And who do you love the most?” “You, you, you!” Leo was never loud. He’d buy me sodas and rub my shoulders after gym class. All for a single piece of candy. Austin was a husky; Leo was a purebred. “So,” Austin grinned. “Who gets the snacks today?” “You,” I sighed, heartbroken. “All of them.” The crowd went silent. I turned around. Leo was standing there in his white polo, his eyes red and brimming with tears. “Are you replacing me?” he whispered. 4 The crowd gasped. I felt like a cheater. “You’re heartless!” a boy yelled. “You’re a bad person!” Soon, the hallway was packed with kids watching the drama. “I’m not replacing him!” I yelled. Austin barked, “Tell her, and I tell your parents!” Leo twisted his fingers, teary-eyed. “Mistress, please say something.” It was chaos. I wiped my forehead and pointed at both of them. “Fine! You both want to be my dog? We’re going to the track. Whoever runs the fastest stays!” Leo and Austin locked eyes. What happened next became legend. Even today, people in this town talk about the “Great Race.” It was a beautiful day for a dog walk. Leo and Austin had their leashes on. They were on all fours at the starting line. I held the leashes, and hundreds of students lined the sidelines. “The Dog Queen is holding tryouts!” someone shouted. A student even recorded it on a phone. I walked them to the start. The crowd chanted: “Dog Queen! Dog Queen!” I dropped the ropes. “Go!” Leo looked at me. “If I win, I’m your only one.” “Deal,” I said. He bolted. They both did. It was hot, so I went to the shop to get an ice cream and sat under a tree. After a while, I saw our teacher walking toward the track with a very elegant woman. “My Leo is so shy,” she was saying. “I worry he doesn’t express himself.” The teacher laughed. “No way! He’s leading a ‘pet competition’ right now.” The mother looked relieved. “Leo is so sensible. Not like the other wild kids.” Just then, a roar erupted from the track. The teacher and the mother turned just in time to see two figures fly past. Leo was in the lead, hands and feet blurring, running like a machine. The mother’s face turned white. Is that… my son? The teacher was speechless. “Nora Miller!” the teacher barked, spotting me. “What is the meaning of this?” I nearly dropped my ice cream. In the distance, Leo crossed the finish line. He sat on the grass, panting, looking for me. When he saw me, he lit up. He scrambled over on all fours, faster than a bullet. “Mistress!” he chirped happily. “I won! I’m your only dog!” Leo’s mom fainted right on the spot.

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My stepsister tricked me into drinking a protein shake spiked with her own blood—a dark ritual to steal my beauty. She replaced me, becoming a top supermodel, while I withered away—bloated, disfigured, and blacklisted from the industry. My stepmother didn’t stop there. She placed a cursed cactus in my bedroom, an occult object designed to siphon my luck and life force. The harder I worked, the worse my life became. I lived in a nightmare until the day I was struck by a truck on 5th Avenue. But when I opened my eyes… I was back. Back to the night my stepsister handed me that silver tumbler for the first time. I took the shake—the one meant to swap our faces—and secretly poured it into the soil of the very cactus my stepmother used to drain my luck. In this life, if I’m going down, I’m taking every single one of them with me. 1 “Harper, sweetie, I warmed up your milk. You’ve been working so hard, drink up and get some rest!” Hearing Tiffany’s voice sent a violent shiver down my spine. In my previous life, this glass of milk was the beginning of the end. My mom passed away when I was very young. Not long after, my dad brought home a new woman, Brenda. And her daughter, Tiffany, who was only a few months younger than me. At first, they played the part of the perfect, supportive family. But everything changed after graduation. I was scouted by a top agency and quickly became an international supermodel. Tiffany was consumed by jealousy. She found a psychic who taught her a dark ritual: using her own blood as a medium, mixed into my nightly milk, to slowly swap our bodies and faces. She stole my runway, earning millions and basking in the spotlight. I was left with a face covered in cysts and a body that gained weight no matter what I did. I lost my career. To ensure I never recovered, Brenda placed a “Luck-Vampire Cactus” in my room to drain the energy of whoever slept there. No matter how hard I tried, I met with nothing but failure. I was a walking corpse until that accident sent me to the ICU. In the hospital, Tiffany leaned over my bed and whispered the truth. “Harper, I hated you. I hated that you were born with everything—the looks, the money, the attention—without even trying.” “But it doesn’t matter now. Mom and I took your dad, and now we’ve taken your beauty, your fame, your fortune… everything.” “Oh, and guess what? Next month, I’m not just walking in the Global Gala… I’m getting engaged to your boyfriend, Chad.” “Too bad you won’t be alive to see it.” My damaged heart couldn’t take the shock. The monitor flatlined. Tiffany pretended to scream for help, and my world went black. “Harper?” Tiffany’s voice pulled me back to the present. I looked up. Under her mask of concern, I saw the hidden malice and anticipation. I suppressed my rage and took the cup. “Thanks, Tiff. I’ll drink it in a minute.” I watched her leave and locked the door. I turned around and poured the cursed milk directly into the soil of the luck-stealing cactus. Since this milk is infused with her blood, I imagine this evil plant will find it much more… appetizing than just my presence. In this life, let’s see what happens when two parasites try to feed on each other. 2 A few minutes later, Tiffany couldn’t wait to check on me. Seeing the empty cup, she couldn’t hide her grin. Her eyes, already squeezed shut by the fat on her cheeks, practically disappeared. She volunteered to wash the cup. When she opened the kitchen door, the smell of grease hit me. Tiffany was making late-night fried chicken. Honestly, Tiffany took after her mother. Brenda was petite and decent-looking, so Tiffany shouldn’t have been unattractive. But when they first moved in, Brenda wanted to assert dominance. Any gourmet food went straight to Tiffany. To mock me, Tiffany would gorge herself in front of me. “Dad bought me this pudding! Sorry Harper, he didn’t get one for you. Don’t be mad!” At dinner, if I touched a ribeye steak, Tiffany would act like a victim. “Dad, back home, Mom always let me have the whole steak. Does Harper have to take everything?” My dad, who hated conflict and felt my late mother was too strong-willed, sided with them to feel like a “man.” He ordered that I eat leftovers only after they finished. For a child, life is about food and play. Tiffany’s gluttony grew unchecked. She became obese. When we hit our teens, she started obsessing over my figure. She convinced Dad to let me eat at the table, but only so Brenda could cook greasy, sugary bombs to sabotage me. But I was already modeling. I ate strict agency-approved meals. They couldn’t touch me. In my last life, I saw her eating fried chicken at midnight and tried to warn her. “Weight loss is about consistency. Eating this late ruins your metabolism.” She just gave me a mysterious smirk. “Harper, I don’t care anymore. I believe in destiny. Maybe one day I’ll just wake up skinny. Don’t you think?” Now I knew. She knew the swap was coming. Every calorie she ate would end up on my hips. I walked into the kitchen, pretending to be tempted. “Is that fried chicken? Can I have a bite?” Tiffany panicked and covered the plate. “No! Harper… you’re a model! You have to watch your figure!” I looked down, acting sad. “That warm milk really woke up my appetite. But you’re right. Maybe you should stop making me milk. It makes me crave junk food!” She froze. The milk was the only way to mask the taste of her blood. As I turned to leave, she shouted, “Wait! I’ll make you a keto-friendly dessert!” She spent an hour making a complicated coconut egg white pudding. She even got yelled at by Dad for using the mixer so late. I ate it with satisfaction. “If I have this after my milk every night, I won’t crave junk.” She forced a smile through gritted teeth. “Sure… I’ll make it for you every single night!” 3 Half a month passed. Every night, I took the spiked milk and fed it to the cactus. Every night, Tiffany slaved away making me gourmet diet desserts. She was tired, but happy. She thought she was feeding her future body. To keep up the act, I used makeup to create fake spots on my face and started wearing a mask at home. The cactus began to assimilate her. Her bumpy, acne-ridden skin started to smooth out, becoming glossy and green-tinted. Her body shape changed—not just thinner, but… flatter. Like a succulent. She stopped eating grease at home to avoid tempting me, so she binged outside. The cactus on my desk grew rounder and oilier every day. I eavesdropped outside her room. “Mom! The Psychic’s stuff is working! I lost 20 pounds this week!” I smiled. She didn’t notice she wasn’t just losing fat; she was losing her human shape. Tiffany continued, “But Harper’s career is still going up, even though her face is getting messy. Is your cactus working?” Brenda replied, “Patience! She’s a top model; it takes time to drain that much luck. But look at me! I’ve been winning scratch-off tickets all week! Small amounts, but I never win!” Tiffany sighed. “Mom, get me a charm too. I’ve been so unlucky lately.” Of course she was. The cactus was drinking her blood every night. Tiffany had been tripping over nothing, dropping her phone, losing keys. The day Brenda won $200, Tiffany got food poisoning and soiled herself on the subway. She was mortified. “I haven’t gone to work in days!” “Who cares about work?” Brenda waved her hand. “Once you have Harper’s face, you’ll make millions just by standing there!” They began fantasizing about mansions, cars, and kicking my dad to the curb. I turned to leave, but then I heard a name. “I’ve been online dating Chad for months. Once I’m skinny, I’ll meet him in person and leave Harper with nothing!” 4 In my last life, I never suspected Chad. He was my college sweetheart. When I got “sick” and ugly, he drifted away. I thought it was natural. But hearing he was engaged to Tiffany in the ICU? That was a setup. He had been cheating for a long time. Fine. Let me give him a little push. I texted Chad: 【Babe, I don’t know what’s happening. I’m gaining weight and my face is breaking out. I might have to quit modeling. What should I do?】 Usually, he replied instantly. This time, the “typing” bubble appeared and disappeared for minutes. Finally: 【Harper, are you just tired? Don’t give up so easily. Modeling pays so well!】 I pushed harder: 【If I quit, will you support me?】 Radio silence. A moment later, Tiffany entered my room. “Harper, did you fight with Chad?” Her tone was concerned, but she was smirking. She was impatient because I wasn’t falling apart fast enough. I frowned. “None of your business.” She giggled. “Harper, if you lost your beauty and job, would Chad still love you?” “Oh, don’t get me wrong! I just mean… a guy like Chad has plenty of options. If you don’t work hard, someone might take your place.” She spun around, showing off her “new figure.” I squinted. She looked like a flattened croissant. She took my empty milk cup. “Cherish these days, Harper.”

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I had just closed a ten-million-dollar deal. The entire compound was popping champagne and lighting fireworks. Suddenly, the Young Master stormed into the compound, an assault rifle in hand, and pressed the cold barrel against my forehead. “Who the f*** taught you to flirt with eight men at the same time?” Trembling in terror, I pointed a shaking finger at the man next to me, who was calmly lighting a cigar. “Your dad.” The Young Master: “So, it was you who made her play with my feelings?” His Dad: “So, this ten million dollars… you scammed it from my son?” 1 In the damp, gloomy basement, I was clutching my phone, playing hard-to-get with the man on the screen. “Stop contacting me. I’m getting married.” “If I fill the gap in your father’s company funds, does that mean you don’t have to marry that other guy?” “What do you take me for? I wouldn’t take your money even if I were selling my body on the street.” “You’d take that other guy’s money but not mine? What does that mean?” “You’re different.” “Don’t give me that bullshit. If you don’t send me your account number tonight, we are done. I’m blocking you immediately.” I feigned helplessness, typed out the offshore account number, and added a final hook: “Even if you send it, I won’t touch a cent. If you force me, I’ll kill myself.” After sending that, the sound of glock slides racking echoed around me. Several guns were pointed at my head. I felt like my head would be blown off in the next second. Then, the software chimed: Received $1,500,000. The compound boss, Victor, slammed his hand on the desk. “That’s a wrap. Light the fireworks.” Only then did my soul return to my body. I immediately blocked and deleted the contact saved as [Bryce / 6’2″ / London / Rich & Lonely]. 2 Outside, the roar of fireworks was deafening. In the office, people surrounded me. “Chloe, you’re a legend.” “You just became our Top Earner in one shot.” I smiled awkwardly. “Honestly, he was just easy to trick.” They started analyzing the ‘kill’. “True, that idiot was dumb as a rock. Wiring over a million without even meeting?” “What do you guys know? Single parent home, studying abroad, just went through a breakup. People like that are starved for affection. Buy him a Starbucks and he’d probably die of gratitude.” “I wonder what kind of moron father raises such a moron son.” Hahaha. The room erupted in laughter. Victor knocked on the table to summarize. “Indeed, a total moron.” He stood up, grabbed a stack of cash, and shoved it down the front of my shirt. “Tomorrow, your team leader Shane will take you to the mall. Don’t worry about saving me money.” I clutched my chest. “Thank you, Boss.” But Victor didn’t let go. His rough hand moved recklessly inside my clothes. The others acted like they saw nothing, continuing to joke. I was covered in goosebumps, about to give up resisting, when— “Boss, another whale just came online.” Team Leader Shane walked over with a phone. Only then did Victor reluctantly pull his hand back. After they left, I walked back to the basement, still shaken, carrying a piece of cake. The moment I opened the door, a broom handle smashed into my face. “You sell out your own people! Your conscience has been eaten by dogs!” I didn’t care. I even forced a smile. “Anyone want some cake?” They rushed me, slapping me wildly. “Another family ruined because of you, and you have the nerve to eat cake?” “We’d rather starve to death than eat that blood-soaked cake.” They knocked the cake onto the dirty floor, calling me a bitch, a traitor. They didn’t stop until I hit the emergency bell and Shane arrived. After that, they didn’t dare touch me. I cursed at them—starving for two days and still having that much strength—while picking the cake up off the floor. I ate the whole thing, then went to sleep. The moment I closed my eyes, I saw the last message from the man I scammed: “I love you. Please don’t die.” But right after he sent it, the message turned into a red exclamation mark. He must be regretting everything right now. 3 When everyone was asleep, I pulled out a burner phone hidden inside my mattress. I sent screenshots of all the chats and transfer records to a strange number. The reply came quickly: “Are you injured?” “No. I can go to the mall tomorrow.” “Tomorrow, 12:00 PM. By the flagpoles. White van.” “Okay.” I stared at the phone for a few seconds, then typed: “Can I bring the other girls?” “Can you guarantee there are no moles for Victor among them?” I couldn’t. I didn’t even dare talk to them for fear of my life. “They will die.” “But this is your only chance to go home.” I stayed silent for a few seconds, deleted the screenshots, and hid the phone. I stared at the ceiling. Thinking of the word “Home,” my heart skipped a beat. I tried to trace the letters in the air, but my hand was shaking too much to write. My fingers brushed against the tally marks scratched into the wall. I sighed. The girls in my room had changed eight times already. The current batch arrived a month ago, lured by high salaries for customer service or livestreaming jobs. When they realized it was a scam factory, they protested, cried, and refused to work. I knew their fate all too well. Either you scam, or you end up in the Red Light District. If you still don’t listen, one needle in the arm turns you into a slave to your own addiction. I was different. I was the biggest idiot. I had a legitimate tech job after graduation. The company offered a “team building retreat” overseas as a reward for top performance. Greedy for a free trip, I worked my ass off to be number one. I came, and I never left. To stay alive, I used to close small deals—a few thousand here and there—just to meet the quota. But last month, I overheard Victor and Shane. Victor said my numbers were too low. He was planning to sell me to another syndicate. I didn’t want to die. I just wanted to go home. 4 I didn’t sleep a wink. The next day, I wore my nicest dress and got into the van with Shane. Shane looked decent, handsome even. You’d never guess he was a scammer. But to sit in the Team Leader’s chair, his hands couldn’t be clean. He put a black hood over my head as soon as I got in. There were a few other “top earners” in the van. They were excited. I didn’t say a word. My fingernails dug into my palms, cold sweat trickling down my neck. After buying a few random clothes, I sat in a café by the window, staring at the flagpoles in the plaza below. Shane sat opposite me. “What are you looking at?” I jumped. “Just… that kid dropped his ice cream and is crying. Kind of funny, isn’t it?” He followed my gaze and warned me, “Don’t even think about wandering off.” “I used to cry for three days if I dropped my ice cream.” He looked like he wanted to say something, but his phone rang. His expression turned grave as he answered. He glanced at me. My heart sank. I had a bad feeling. While he was distracted, I slipped into a lingerie store next door. I grabbed a few items and ran into a fitting room. I locked the door immediately. I pulled the phone from my bra and texted the number. “Can you come early?” “Something’s wrong.” No reply. I was frantic. Suddenly, a knock on the door. Shane’s voice. “Chloe, we have to go.” “Okay, coming!” My heart was in my throat. I texted again: “Please, pick me up now. They are making me leave.” Reply: “The van is 30 minutes away.” “30 minutes is too late.” I couldn’t stall for thirty minutes. The knocking got louder. “Chloe, what are you doing? I’m breaking the door down.” My scalp went numb with fear. “The zipper is stuck! Just a second!” I started stripping off my clothes while waiting for a message. Reply: “We have to wait for next time.” I lost it. “My grandparents won’t survive until next time.” Just as I hit send— BANG! The door was kicked open. Shane walked in. His eyes scanned me for a few seconds, then checked the fitting room. Confirming there was no other exit, he threw the clothes at me. “Put them on.” “I’m watching.” I was already naked before he entered. Being watched by a man while changing is humiliating, but in this hellhole, shame is a luxury we can’t afford. I had accepted my fate long ago, but I still couldn’t stop my face from burning red. Terrified he would find the phone hidden in the pile of clothes, I was shaking the entire time. After I put on the lingerie, he finally spoke: “Take the black set. It suits you.” “Okay.” He finally turned his back, letting me finish dressing, then dragged me out. The others were waiting outside. Seeing me and Shane walk out of the fitting room together, with my face flush red, they exchanged knowing looks and dirty smiles. Shane paid, and we were herded back to the van. In the car, Shane suddenly said, “You all know what to say and what not to say, right?” The group nodded in unison. “We’re all men here, blood runs hot. We understand.” “Leader, we get it.” Shane didn’t explain. I had no energy to explain. I stared at the spot by the flagpoles. The white van never came. I felt like my soul had died. 5 The moment we got back to the compound, Victor grabbed me by the hair and dragged me into his office. He slammed me onto the desk. “So the million dollars you scammed… it was from my son?” I was confused. “I don’t know.” “He didn’t tell you his name is Bryce White?” “He just said his name was Bryce.” I raised my hands to block his fists. “You taught us! When working the overseas market, never ask for real names. It looks unprofessional.” I survived this long because I have a degree in Creative Writing. I graduated with honors. I never thought I’d use it for catfishing. Victor froze for a second, veins bulging on his forehead, then backhanded me across the face. “Who the f*** taught you that?” I shook with fear. “Shane… It was Shane.” Great. Now both Shane and I were in for a beating. As for why I threw Shane under the bus… I admit, it was personal. He shouldn’t have watched me change. He’s just Victor’s dog. I was beaten until my face was covered in blood, then thrown back into the basement like trash. I found out later the money had cleared the night before. Victor only found out today. His son transferred a million dollars out of his account, and he was furious. Victor is a sophisticated monster. He usually kills with elegance. This was the first time I’d seen him lose control. Honestly? It felt a little good.

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I was burying myself in work when a friend request popped up on my phone. [Hi. Guess who.] [Don’t be so cold.] [Fine, I won’t disturb your class. It’s Lucas Asher.] My finger froze. I frowned and typed back: [Stop playing jokes. My husband is already dead.] [W-what?! You’re calling me husband already?!] The person on the other end only seemed to register the word “husband,” sending a string of shy emojis. Impatient and angry at someone impersonating the dead, I hit the video call button. I wanted to scream at them. The call connected. A flushed, panicked teenage boy appeared on the screen, wearing a Saint Jude’s Prep blazer. I froze. “Husband?!” The person on the other end… was Lucas Asher from ten years ago!!! 1 I slammed the “End Call” button. I pressed my hand against my chest, feeling my heart hammering against my ribs. The boy on the screen—his face was red as a ripe tomato. His eyes dodged the camera, but they were full of hope. He looked like he was living a dream he never thought would come true. How is this possible? My fingers trembled as I typed a message. [Are you… really Lucas?] [Of course!] He replied instantly, his excitement piercing through the screen. A second later, another text popped up. [Why aren’t you in your uniform? The Headmaster is doing dorm inspections tonight. You’ll get written up.] “Dorm inspections”… for me, that was ten years ago. I took a deep breath and typed slowly. [Because where I am, it is October 24th, 2025.] The typing bubble paused. A moment later, Lucas sent a giant question mark. [???] I stared at the screen, hesitated for a second, then typed the truth. [I am your wife. I am Elena Vance from the year 2025.] The other side fell into a weird silence. 2 I didn’t wait. I video-called him back immediately. Lucas’s face appeared on the screen again. The tips of his ears were bleeding red, his voice shaking. “You… you’re actually my wife?” Sure enough, compared to “2025,” the word “wife” was what panicked him the most. I rested my chin in my hand, smiling at him. “Don’t believe me?” He gulped and looked away. “You’re making it up…” “You have a mole on your inner thigh. Every night, when things get intense, you force me to look at it.” “?!” “And when that happens, the low groan you make is actually quite sexy.” Lucas practically boiled over. He looked like a cat that had been splashed with hot water. Even his neck turned pink. “You—” He wanted to call me shameless. But then he realized something… technically, he was the one doing those things! He choked on his words, looking like he wanted to cry. “I… I am so shameless!” 3 “You’re not shameless. You had a crush on me for three years before you dared to say hello. You’re very disciplined.” I smiled, enjoying the sight of the mortified boy on the screen. Lucas covered his face with his hands, silent. After a long time, he whispered, “What about you?” “What?” “Do you… look at me every day because…” His voice trembled. He tried to muster up the courage but still didn’t dare look me in the eye. “…because you like me too?” I paused, falling into memory. Ten years ago, Elena Vance wore thick black glasses and ran between classrooms. A typical nerd. Lucas, on the other hand, was the school’s golden boy. We had zero intersection. The only connection? He always stood by the school gate. And every time I walked in, I glared at him. Please. He was the only person in the entire school who scored higher than me in Calculus. He didn’t even study hard, yet he beat me every time, forcing me to be eternally second place. Who wouldn’t be mad? But this silly boy… He mistook my hostility for longing. 4 Looking at the shy boy on the screen, I couldn’t bear to tell him the truth. I deliberately changed the subject. “So, when did you start liking me?” “W-who said I like you?!” Heh. The innocent puppy wants to play tough? I casually selected a few carefully posed “thirst trap” photos from my gallery and hit send. [Stop staring at that stolen ID photo every night. Look at these instead.] The screen on the other side went chaotic. Click. He hung up. The chat remained silent for three full minutes. Lucas was probably steaming, his brain short-circuiting. Finally, clutching a tissue to his nose, he sent a voice message. His voice was so tense it cracked. [I… I don’t look at it every night!] A second later, realizing he just admitted to looking at it some nights, he frantically deleted the message. I was laughing so hard I couldn’t stand up straight. 5 From that day on, I logged on punctually every night. I chatted with Lucas for the thirty minutes after his evening study hall. It was the only window our timelines connected. Every night, the puppy would crumble under my teasing, ears burning, shy but stubborn. But during the day, in his timeline, I was still High School Elena with the heavy backpack. I’d walk past him in the hallway, eyes forward, cold and distant. And Lucas? Every time he saw me, he’d steal glances, twisting his backpack straps. He looked nervous as hell, like a criminal hiding a secret. The contrast was addictive. Finally, one night, he couldn’t hold it in. [Where am I? The Lucas from ten years later?] My heart sank. I had slipped up on the first day… had he figured it out? Sensing my silence, Lucas typed carefully. [Is it… do you and Future Me have a bad relationship? Are you separated?] I let out a breath. Kids are easy to fool. I typed quickly: [He’s just on a business trip.] He pouted, his voice message sounding a bit aggrieved. [So when he comes back, you won’t be able to talk to me anymore?] The boy’s voice was clean and clear, filled with tentative hope. I froze. I didn’t expect that question. He was just a green high school boy; how could he say something that made my heart race like that? Before I could reply, another message popped up. [Then… can you secretly spend more time with me while he’s gone?] Great. The puppy has gone rogue. 6 Lucas’s message was still on the screen, carrying the thrill of last night. I touched the glass. The morning light filtered in, casting a warm glow on my desk. Just like the boy who didn’t dare look me in the eye ten years ago. But time never stops. I pushed open the office door. My gaze landed on the framed photo on the desk. This used to be Lucas’s office. At 27, he was a successful, sharp-edged CEO. But since he died, my name is on the door. In the photo, we are smiling sweetly. The picture-perfect power couple. Now, looking at it makes me sick. The secretary’s desk outside is empty. But from her seat, she would have had a clear view of this photo. I chuckled. When Lucas was cheating, did he ever feel guilty looking at this picture? 7 Three years into our marriage, he cheated with his secretary. A girl fresh out of college. That day, he came home early. He stood in the living room, looking at me with complicated eyes, as if gathering courage. “She… she looks like you.” I put down my book and raised an eyebrow. “Hm?” “She… really looks like you.” He paused, then added, “Like you when you were young.” When I was young? I looked at him and almost laughed. “So, you think I’m old now?” I leaned back on the sofa, amused. “Your excuse for cheating is that she looks like me?” Lucas opened his mouth to explain. But eventually, he just looked at me silently, his eyes dark and unreadable. I smiled, mocking him. “You should go back and look at 17-year-old me. I wasn’t nearly as pretty as her.” He didn’t speak. I was too lazy to ask more. That night, I drafted the divorce agreement. The next day, we went to City Hall. But while we were waiting for the final decree, he died. It was sudden. Clean. No last words. We had no children. I was the primary beneficiary. I inherited his company and everything he left unfinished. As for the young secretary, she vanished like smoke after his death. She never caused me any trouble. Now, standing in his office, looking at his legacy, I felt nothing. Everything was exactly as he left it—files open, coffee cup on the corner of the desk. As if he just went to a meeting and would be back any minute. But he wouldn’t. I looked down at the photo frame face-down in the trash can. My lips curled slightly.

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With matching family backgrounds and appropriate ages, Julian King and I entered into an arranged marriage. But he had a “cinnabar mole” (the one that got away), and I had a “white moonlight” (the unforgettable first love). His cinnabar mole hurt him, and my white moonlight failed me. After marriage, we coordinated perfectly and became a model couple in our social circle. The cinnabar mole and the white moonlight, however, began to realize their mistakes and came back begging for a second chance. But there is an idiom called “fake it till you make it,” and sometimes, true feelings are hard to restrain. 1 Julian King and I only formally met a month before our engagement. The restaurant Julian chose was on the top floor terrace by the Hudson River in Jin City (fictional city context, adapted to New York style setting), offering a panoramic view of the skyline at night. When I rushed over after work, my best friend Chloe sent me a message: “Asked around, Julian King seems like a decent guy.” When I arrived, Julian was on a work call, sleeves of his black shirt rolled up to his elbows, speaking German. Seeing me, he made an apologetic expression. I shook my head, signaling it was okay. Julian was on the phone for ten minutes. In those ten minutes, my thoughts wandered wildly. One was that Julian seemed to have done his undergraduate studies in Germany, supposedly because of his “white moonlight.” Another was that he wasn’t wearing sleeve garters today. His shirt wasn’t as rigidly ascetic as before, but it had a different kind of casual laziness. Speaking of sleeve garters, I remembered the first time I saw him after returning to the country, at his suburban horse ranch. He was wearing sleeve garters and harnesses, his biceps and pectoral muscles bulging under the restraint. My first thought at the time was that this was the man who wore sleeve garters and harnesses with the most authentic vibe I had ever seen. The man dismounted, saw me walking over, and the first thing he said was— “Hello, Miss Wen,” Julian hung up the phone and smiled, “I am Julian King.” 2 Julian and I hit it off unexpectedly well. He was a man mature and extremely graceful in all aspects. From the dishes he ordered, the topics he discussed, to the flowers he gave me after the meal, everything made me feel comfortable and appropriate. While maintaining a sense of boundaries, there was a hint of tacit intimacy. But it would be too late if we didn’t get intimate soon; after all, we were getting engaged. After the meal, Julian drove me home. He drove a massive off-road vehicle with a very high chassis, and I struggled a bit getting in. Julian helped me into the car, sounding a bit embarrassed: “I went to inspect the base today, this car is more convenient.” After graduation, he broke away from the King family’s traditional FMCG industry and started his own biotech business. I joked: “It’s hard for President King to be so busy and still make time to eat with me.” “You can’t say that.” Julian looked at me very seriously: “You are also very busy with work, this is what I should do.” Damn, I stared into Julian’s deep eyes for a few seconds, then messaged Chloe. “Mature men are scary.” “Hmph, now you know the benefits of mature men? What were you liking before?” I couldn’t refute this, after all, I used to go for younger guys. Young and vigorous little wolf dogs are indeed good, but if they are too vigorous, it becomes infuriating. 3 When the car arrived downstairs at my apartment, I was blocked by an infuriating little wolf dog. The little wolf dog’s name was Bailey Ze, and my friends jokingly called him my “white moonlight.” Calling him white moonlight wasn’t entirely false. We had been entangled from my studies in North America until I returned to the country, and we got back together once. With my personality, willing to get back together and eat “return grass,” calling him a white moonlight wasn’t wronging him. He was indeed the partner I dated the longest. Before I got out of the car, Julian noticed Bailey leaning against his motorcycle downstairs. But his thoughts were different. Julian’s first reaction was: “That man is acting very suspiciously. Is the security in this area that bad?” I was silent for a few seconds and decided to tell the truth: “He is my ex-boyfriend.” Julian was stunned: “Sorry, do I need to avoid him?” Damn, Julian’s level is really high. “No need, it’ll be resolved in a few minutes,” I said, “I was originally going to invite you up for a sit.” “If you don’t mind, we can reschedule.” Julian frowned: “He saw you.” Bailey indeed saw me. His aggrieved expression changed when he saw the car model and Julian, asking in a not-so-good tone: “Sister, who is he?” Julian raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. 4 I suddenly had a headache. Bailey is five years younger than me. In most cases, because I am older, I am overly tolerant and pampering towards him. Friends once complained: Bailey is like this because you spoiled him. Impulsive, hot-blooded, extreme in both good and bad. “I remember, we broke up two months ago.” “I was preparing for the F1 race and training at the base then.” Bailey was dissatisfied: “Who is he?” “My fiancé.” I replied coldly. Bailey is just like this, completely spoiled by me. He might not have cared much about the breakup I sent two months ago. After all, we got back together once, and he has absolute confidence in getting special treatment from me. “You cheated?” Bailey asked in disbelief: “You can even say this reason just to anger me?” A nameless fire rose up. Just as I was preparing to cut the knot quickly, the silent Julian spoke up. “Excuse me, sir, you should have received nine years of compulsory education and have a certain level of comprehension.” Julian got out of the car and walked in front of me: “Winter (Wen Dong) said in the first sentence, she broke up with you two months ago.” Julian is 6’2″. Years of fitness habits made Bailey’s aura too thin in front of him. He stood slightly in front of me: “Is it your upbringing to open your mouth and spread rumors of cheating?” Bailey took a step back, choosing not to confront Julian head-on, which was his usual cleverness. He just looked at me with red eyes, pursed his lips, and softened his voice asking: “Sister?” I said: “He is my fiancé, we are getting engaged next month.” 5 The main reason Bailey could date me for so long was that he knew how to please me. In the past two years, we never quarreled because no matter how angry I was, Bailey would coax me with a smile. This also led to the contradictions between us never being faced squarely, let alone solved. “I proposed a breakup, and both parties confirmed.” I said: “If you don’t believe it, you can check the chat history.” Bailey’s eyes looked hurt. This was the first time I was so ruthless to him; I sighed, having to admit that I always softened at his appearance. Bailey looked at me deeply, choking back a bluff: “You’d better not regret it!” His inherent pride would never allow him to pester. Bailey turned around and got on his motorcycle. The roar faded away, and I said embarrassedly to Julian: “Sorry you had to see that.” Julian shook his head, hesitated, but still said: “Regarding relationships, perhaps you have heard about me too.” I nodded. Compared to me, who had constant scandals and changed boyfriends every year since adulthood, Julian’s only romance in so many years was about his cinnabar mole, Lynn (Lin Yao). “Are you still in contact with her?” Julian smiled bitterly and shook his head: “Four years ago… after that incident, we haven’t contacted each other.” “Then isn’t it settled? Which adult man or woman doesn’t have one or two emotional experiences? It’s not promiscuity.” I thought for a moment and laughed: “But you’ve heard about my reputation, my emotional experiences are more than one or two. Do you mind?” “Don’t say that, there’s no such thing as minding or not.” Julian looked at me very seriously: “You are serious about every relationship. I actually had contact with your ex-boyfriends in my work later.” Julian spoke sincerely: “When mentioning you in casual chat, their evaluations were very high. You are a very interesting person. Instead, I worry that I am too old-fashioned and will annoy you.” My god. Mature men are really scary. If I knew older men were this good, why was my nickname “Younger Man Reaper”?! 6 That night Julian didn’t go up. He just draped his suit jacket over my shoulders, as I was wearing a slip dress, when he left. The jacket had a cold fragrance, not strong; just like Julian, calm and at ease. Chloe marveled at this behavior: “Expert, truly an expert.” I asked why she said that? “He is quietly booking the next meeting time. If you are not interested in him, you will forget about it, so he can judge how to get along with you based on your attitude; but if you have the intention to see him, you will definitely return his jacket.” Me, on the way to Julian’s company with the washed jacket: … “Your methods are more than enough for younger guys, but for Julian King,” Chloe said: “You’d better keep your wits about you.” When I arrived at Julian’s company building, it was close to off-work time. Julian messaged me, and I took his exclusive elevator to his office floor. The receptionist received me with a smile: “President King’s meeting will end in about ten minutes, Miss Wen please wait a moment.” I looked around Julian’s office. The style was simple and atmospheric, but some items on the desk and bookshelf behind him showed his little hobbies. For example, a Switch game console, a pool cue on the wall, and a DSLR camera on the bookshelf. I waited for ten minutes. Julian came out of the meeting, bringing a whole bouquet of elegantly packaged Earl Grey roses. Blooming passionately and contentedly, Julian bent down and handed the flowers to me sitting on the sofa: “Sorry for the wait, flowers as an apology, hope you like them.”

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The first thing I did after being reborn was swap the water in the pesticide bottle with real poison. In my past life, just as our family became the first in town to save ten thousand dollars, my husband Julian Reed failed in his business venture, racking up a debt of $130,000. Guilt-ridden, Julian said he didn’t want to drag me and my mother-in-law down, and drank pesticide to commit suicide. To prevent debt collectors from taking everything, my mother-in-law hid the family’s last bit of savings inside his coffin. When the debt collectors couldn’t find any money, they forcibly occupied our house. To protect my mother-in-law, I had my leg broken by them. Unexpectedly, during the funeral, Julian’s coffin caught fire, and all the money burned to ashes. I shouldered the burden of the family alone, working day and night to pay off debts, and cared for my mother-in-law until her death. I ended up riddled with illness, my hair turning gray prematurely. Just when I was reduced to scavenging for recyclables on the roadside to survive, I bumped into my husband—who had been “dead” for years—walking down the street with another woman and a child, looking glamorous and wealthy. “Julian, you were so smart. By faking your death back then, you got rid of the debt and still had money to marry me.” Julian replied indifferently, “It was that woman who was too stupid. Since she occupied your rightful place, it was only fair she paid the price with her money and labor.” I couldn’t believe my ears and died on the spot from a sudden heart attack caused by intense anger. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Julian drank pesticide to fake his death. … 1 “Chloe, I’ve failed you. Not only did I lose all our family’s savings, but I also owe $130,000. I deserve to die!” “I can’t drag you two down. A bottle of pesticide, and the debt dies with me!” My husband, Julian Reed, knelt before me, crying bitterly, having even prepared a coffin to show his resolve. With tears streaming down his face and filled with remorse, he raised the pesticide bottle to his mouth. In my last life, I was too shocked to stop him in time. This time, I acted quickly, pouncing on him and gripping his wrist tightly, tilting the bottle mouth outwards. The entire bottle of “pesticide” spilled onto his clothes and the ground; not a single drop went down Julian’s throat. Ignoring Julian’s ugly expression, I threw away the bottle and grabbed his hands. “Hubby, money isn’t more important than your life. Don’t do anything foolish!” “No matter how hard it is, there will be a way out. I’ll give you my dowry to pay off the debt, let’s figure this out together!” I looked at him with concern, acting entirely for his sake. Hearing “dowry,” a look of greed instantly burst into his eyes, and he asked urgently: “Really? You’re willing to give me your dowry?” I sneered internally. Acting so hard just for my dowry money. “Of course. We are husband and wife. Who else would I help if not you?” After much persuasion, Julian pretended to give up the idea of suicide and happily went to get my dowry. Seeing the excitement he couldn’t hide in his eyes, my heart went cold. In my last life, Julian cheated me out of my dowry under the guise of paying debts. Then he faked his death by drinking “pesticide,” taking all the family’s money to live happily with another woman. I, on the other hand, was beaten by debt collectors for protecting my mother-in-law and his empty coffin, breaking my leg and shouldering a huge debt. In the end, after caring for my mother-in-law and paying debts all my life, I could only make a living by collecting scrap. Julian, however, remarried and lived happily as a family of three. Thank God for giving me a second chance. Since my husband wants to drink pesticide, water won’t do. Let’s make it real. 2 I took out all my dowry and gave it to Julian, telling him to pay the debts. My mother-in-law, who always disliked me, was also suspicious of my sudden generosity. I wiped my tears and said, “Mom, Julian and I are one. His debt is my debt. Even if I have to eat chaff and vegetables, I will help him pay it back.” “Good thing you still have some money. Whether we have meat to eat in the future depends on you.” My mother-in-law immediately became alert and glared at me unhappily. “I knew you didn’t have good intentions. That’s my coffin money, why should it be spent on you!” She turned into the room, took out her own money, and handed it to Julian. “Son, take this money too!” The two exchanged glances constantly. Julian accepted it without a second thought, taking almost all the money in the house. I knew he wouldn’t use it to pay debts. He would just take the money and run, leaving the $130,000 debt entirely on my head. But it didn’t matter. Soon, he wouldn’t be able to use any of it. Early the next morning, the sound of the gate slamming came from the yard. A group of tall, burly men surged to our doorstep, each looking fierce. The leader had a scar on his cheekbone. He kicked open the courtyard gate, his stick hitting the stone hard, making a loud noise. “Julian Reed, time to pay back the money you owe us, right?” In my last life, when this group came, he had already faked his death and run away. This time, I wouldn’t let him have his way. I decisively hid behind Julian, my voice tearful. “Who are you people? What are you doing in my house? Hubby, save me!” I conveniently pushed Julian forward, making him stand at the very front. Julian’s face turned pale when he saw them, shivering subconsciously. His legs trembled as he swallowed hard. “Brother Zhang, $130,000 is too much, I really can’t pay it back…” Brother Zhang grinned hideously, the scar on his face twitching. “Can’t pay? You didn’t say you couldn’t pay when you borrowed it. Don’t think about welching on the debt!” The commotion attracted nearby neighbors; several people peeked in. But no one dared to come forward, watching from a distance. “Wasn’t Julian Reed just the first millionaire in the village? Didn’t expect him to owe $130,000 in a blink of an eye.” “It’ll take lifetimes to pay this off. Might as well not have done business.” “This is great. Not only did he not make money, but creditors are knocking on his door.” More and more people gathered to watch, discussing animatedly. Julian’s face flushed red, and he shouted: “I have no money, just my life! Since you’re pushing me so hard, I’ll pay you with my life!” Brother Zhang sneered, looking at him mockingly: “Is your life even worth $130,000?” He thought Julian was threatening him, but the next second, Julian took out a pesticide bottle. “Death cancels debt. Chloe, for you and Mom, let my life make amends!” “After I die, put me in the coffin I bought. Don’t waste money, bury me early!” He had a look of heroic sacrifice on his face, not forgetting to clear his name. After speaking, he picked up the bottle and guzzled it down. He drank urgently and quickly, fearing I would stop him. Everyone was stunned, watching Julian throw the bottle away and start foaming at the mouth, convulsing all over. I threw myself over, crying, “Hubby, don’t leave me, how can I live without you?” Before I could get close, my mother-in-law wailed and hugged Julian as he fell to the ground. “My son, how can you make your mother bury her child? I only have one son!” She acted like a mother hen protecting her chick, shoving me hard. “Don’t come over, no one come near my son!” I took the opportunity to sit on the ground, several meters away from them, burying my face in my hands and crying, looking helpless. Brother Zhang frowned, watching Julian rolling his eyes and drooling, spat in disgust. “You have guts. But don’t think dying lets you escape the debt. Brothers, we’ll come back tomorrow!” The debt collectors left. Julian lay in my mother-in-law’s arms, really on the brink of death. Cold sweat broke out all over his body, twitching continuously. The onlookers were also shocked. A kind-hearted person said: “Better send him to the hospital quickly. Immediate rescue might still save his life.” My mother-in-law retorted: “What hospital? They’re all scams! Do you think my family doesn’t owe enough money? Wasting it in such a place!” She held Julian tightly, refusing to let go no matter what anyone said. 3 Seeing Julian’s breathing getting weaker, he tremblingly pulled at my mother-in-law’s sleeve. “Mom, save… save…” My mother-in-law thought it was about the money and quickly said, “Son, don’t worry, we won’t let you down. We’ll hide the money well.” Julian shook his head desperately, but to outsiders, it was just a weak movement. He barely made a sound: “Help…” I immediately started crying loudly, wailing at the top of my lungs: “Hubby, why are you so miserable? Forced to this point, don’t die wuwuwu…” Julian couldn’t catch his breath, eyes rolled back, almost passing out. A neighbor aunt urged me: “Chloe, hurry up and take your man to the hospital. Even the village clinic is better than waiting here to die!” I cried deliriously, reacting slowly to get up, but my mother-in-law rushed over to stop me. “You’re not allowed to go! Julian is lying here, you don’t care about him, running to find what doctor!” She obstructed in every way. Others couldn’t help but say: “Julian’s mom, Julian isn’t dead yet, gotta find a doctor to save his life! You won’t go yourself, why stop his wife!” My mother-in-law couldn’t say it out loud, stammering. At this moment, a voice came from the crowd: “Make way, let me take a look!” Someone shouted in surprise: “Dr. Chen!” Dr. Chen from the village clinic happened to pass by and ran over. Seeing Julian’s face, he immediately said gravely: “The condition is very bad, must be sent to a big hospital for rescue immediately.” My mother-in-law hugged him tighter: “No!” Dr. Chen, with a doctor’s benevolence, couldn’t care less at this moment and directly grabbed the person from my mother-in-law. He looked anxious, shouting: “It’ll be too late if we delay! Folks, come help! Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda!” Neighbors came to help lift him, some persuaded my mother-in-law to seek medical help, and some went to get their tricycles. The scene was chaotic. When the vehicle arrived, everyone worked together to lift Julian onto the tricycle. My mother-in-law grabbed the wheel, crying and shouting: “Where are you taking my son? Give him back to me!” I persuaded with red eyes: “Mom, the doctor said Julian can still be saved, he can definitely be cured!” My mother-in-law became even more agitated, screaming: “No! Who knows if you are really saving him?” “I know my son, he’s hopeless, no need to go to the hospital!” Everyone was shocked by her decisive words, finding it inconceivable. “You are his biological mother! Letting your son wait for death without even trying is too vicious.” My mother-in-law said angrily: “What do you know? I have my reasons!” Nobody understood her reasons, but the next moment, everyone saw the dying Julian start vomiting violently. At first, it was vomit, and people around instinctively covered their noses and stepped back. A few seconds later, Julian began to vomit blood. Large amounts of fresh blood gushed from his mouth, as if a big hole had been punched in his stomach. Everyone was immersed in the shock of Julian suddenly vomiting blood. My mother-in-law had already rushed over and snatched him back. She put her hands on her hips and shouted: “I said don’t send him to the hospital! Now look, moving him around made my son vomit blood!” The neighbor aunt spat and scolded my mother-in-law: “We kindly tried to save your son, even brought out the tricycle. Only you kept blocking us. Now saving people is wrong?” I tried my best to persuade: “Mom, if you keep blocking, Julian will really be hopeless!” My mother-in-law turned and slapped me: “You slut, your man just died and you’re already siding with outsiders against me!” I covered my face and cried: “But Julian has been vomiting blood!” Julian’s blood seemed endless. After being put on the ground by my mother-in-law, blood flowed from his mouth to both sides, pooling in a small puddle under him. My mother-in-law looked back and panicked a bit, hugging Julian. “Julian, we won’t go to the hospital. Stop vomiting blood, it’s okay now.” Others looked at my mother-in-law like she was crazy, but I knew she thought Julian was acting. Dr. Chen took the opportunity to run over and check Julian repeatedly, checking his pulse. When Julian stopped moving, he retracted his hand, expression solemn. “Too late. Drank too much pesticide, stomach corroded by poison. My condolences.” My mother-in-law subconsciously refuted: “Impossible, you quack!” She glared viciously at Dr. Chen, but didn’t notice Julian’s face was pale and lips purple. I said faintly: “Mom, you don’t know how to treat illnesses, but you can tell if a person is breathing or not, right?” Hearing this, my mother-in-law looked at Julian’s dead face, tremblingly reached out her hand under his nose. Two seconds later, her face turned pale, and she slumped to the ground. 4 My mother-in-law looked at Julian in disbelief, fear and shock written all over her face. She grabbed Julian’s shoulders and shook him back and forth: “Julian, Julian wake up!” But Julian was truly dead, dead as a doornail, his head drooping weakly, no response. My mother-in-law shook Julian like crazy, pinching his philtrum and lifting his eyelids, as if delayed grief had finally appeared. Her movements became more and more frantic, suddenly pouncing on Dr. Chen, pulling his clothes and crying loudly. “Dr. Chen, look at my son, look at him quickly, what’s wrong with him?” Dr. Chen wondered: “You wouldn’t send him to the hospital just now, now he’s not breathing, what’s the use.” “Look at his constricted pupils, that’s a symptom of pesticide poisoning.” My mother-in-law jumped up, face flushed: “Absolutely impossible, how could my son have pesticide poisoning!” The neighbors looked at her with strange eyes: “Everyone saw Julian drink a bottle of pesticide. If not pesticide poisoning, what else could it be?” My mother-in-law’s face turned pale. Only then did she remember the pesticide bottle thrown in the corner at the beginning. She ran over to pick it up, smelled it carefully, and found it was real pesticide inside, not water at all! She realized the biggest loophole in the plan. Julian wanted to fake his death but accidentally drank real pesticide. The previous symptoms were real, vomiting blood wasn’t acting. Julian was poisoned to death by a bottle of pesticide, missing the best time for rescue. My mother-in-law regretted it deeply. She really thought Julian hadn’t drunk pesticide and tried every means to stop him from being sent to the doctor. Unexpectedly, he was cold. Looking at the dirty corpse on the ground, I felt incredibly gratified. At this time, my mother-in-law ran over and slapped me hard, pointing at me and cursing. “Bitch, was it you? You gave Julian pesticide to drink!” “You have such a vicious heart. Julian is your man, and you poisoned him to death!” Her eyes were scarlet, looking at me with hatred. My head turned from the slap, face burning and swelling up. I immediately said aggrievedly: “Mom, what are you saying? In broad daylight, Julian drank this pesticide himself. He even said death cancels debt. Isn’t that a death wish!” “I couldn’t stop him. I wanted to save him and send Julian to the hospital.” “It was you who insisted on stopping me, not letting me go, saying I was siding with outsiders!” Tears fell like a flood from an open gate. I cried breathlessly. Counting out every incident, my mother-in-law instantly became an unreasonable crazy woman. The neighbors came with good intentions to save a life but were despised by my mother-in-law. They were already unhappy, and now they mocked her even more. “Julian’s mom, are you senile? First you said your son was hopeless, then you wanted to save him. Now that he’s really dead, you blame your daughter-in-law.” “Crazy, must be something wrong with her brain.” “I think she’s targeting Chloe, deliberately pinning the blame on her, wanting to push the fault of killing someone onto her.” “Pah, serves him right to die, brought it on himself!” One sentence after another, everyone scolded my mother-in-law bloody. And I, with the slap mark from trying to save him earlier still on my face, was just a pitiful woman whose husband died. My mother-in-law rolled her eyes in anger, chest heaving. “What do you know? My son was alive and well.” Everyone thought she was crazy with grief. Dr. Chen sighed. “Although no need for treatment, better send him for cremation quickly. Bodies rot easily in summer.” Hearing this, my mother-in-law stammered again. She didn’t express her stance for a long time. Another voice popped up from the crowd. “Cannot cremate! Julian said he wanted a burial!”

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To teach our daughter gratitude, my husband and I often took her to volunteer at an orphanage whenever we had time. There was a child born with a disability, unable to walk. My daughter pitied her misfortune and asked us to buy her many new clothes. Unexpectedly, after putting on the clothes, she held my hand tightly, refusing to let go. “Auntie, I want to be your daughter too… Can you adopt me? I will be very well-behaved.” Unable to resist the persuasion of my husband and daughter, I completed the adoption procedures. But unexpectedly, a week later, my daughter accidentally fell from the balcony and died on the spot. My husband and I followed closely, dying tragically in a car accident. After our deaths, the adopted daughter inherited all the family assets. My soul floated in mid-air, witnessing her stand up from the wheelchair. She tore up our funeral photos with a sinister smile. “It’s all mine now.” When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the adoption. This time, I directly shook off her clinging hand. 1 “Auntie, this dress is so beautiful. I’ve never worn new clothes before. I love it. Thank you, Auntie, thank you, Uncle. You are such good people!” “Auntie, I want to be your daughter too. My legs are disabled, and the kids in the orphanage bully me. Please take me with you, okay? I swear I will be very obedient. I will work like a cow or a horse to repay you!” Saying this, Lily tried to rush off her wheelchair to kneel before us. My husband, Julian, hurried to hold her, looking relieved. “As long as you like it. Is there really anyone bullying you here? The director looks like a good person, how could this happen?” My daughter, Chloe, also reddened her eyes with sympathy, looking at me pleadingly. “Mom, why don’t we take her home? I also want a sister to keep me company.” The familiar voices rang out. I finally snapped back from the memories of my previous life. I was actually reborn. Still on the day of adopting Lily. In my past life, she relied on her disability, rushing to the front to act pitiful every time we came to do charity work. To set an example for my daughter, and because Julian and I were always soft-hearted, we couldn’t withstand her request. So we agreed to adopt her. Unexpectedly, a single act of kindness resulted in the violent deaths of the whole family. After our deaths, the way Lily stood on her legs showed no sign of disability at all. Thinking about it, she must have been relying on disguise and acting to gain sympathy in the orphanage all these years. Julian and I ended up being the suckers. This time, I won’t let the tragedy repeat itself no matter what! My face turned cold, and I said deeply: “My house really doesn’t have an extra room for you. Forget about adoption. The orphanage is often sponsored by kind people, and the living conditions are good. You won’t suffer.” My husband didn’t understand why I suddenly seemed like a different person. “Honey, what’s wrong? Lily just said it casually, why are you so angry?” My daughter was scared by me, pulling the corner of my clothes with an aggrieved expression. “Mom, you didn’t teach me like this before. You said when we encounter others in trouble, we should help as much as possible. Good people get good rewards.” “Lily is really pitiful. Can’t we really take her home?” Facing the bitter pleading of the two. My attitude remained firm. “No.” “If you want to see her, Mom can bring you here for activities every week, but taking her home, I don’t agree.” “Chloe, you are Mom and Dad’s only daughter, an only child, enjoying all of our love. Do you really want an extra sister to take away half of our care?” My daughter was young after all. After thinking, she understood my difficulties. “I’ll listen to Mom.” I breathed a sigh of relief. Lily’s eyes turned red at this moment. She struggled to move her wheelchair in front of us. “Auntie, life here is not as good as you imagine. The supplies donated by kind people are limited. I was born disabled and can’t compete with them at all. The director wants to raise healthy children well because they have hope of being adopted. No one cares about me at all!” “After so many years, only you guys chat with me and buy me things. If you don’t take me away, maybe you won’t see me next time you come!” “Can I beg you? Auntie, I know your family is well-off. Raising one more person isn’t much. I can be a nanny in your house, I can take care of sister, I can do anything, I’m not afraid of hardship…” The look full of calculation made me cold all over. I took a step back and pulled my daughter to my side. “I said no means no. My family’s good conditions were earned by ourselves, not dropped from the sky. Helping you is a favor, not helping is a duty. Must money be spent on strangers? I’m not that saintly.” “Besides, we give you five hundred dollars pocket money every week when we come over. It’s enough for your living expenses. Don’t push your luck.” After speaking, ignoring her reaction, I took my daughter and left the room. Julian followed closely behind me. He didn’t understand why I did this, but he always supported me unconditionally. While he was getting the car, my daughter and I stood aside basking in the sun. But I felt a venomous gaze behind my back. I turned to look. Lily was at the window of the room, looking in my direction. Her expression changed extremely fast, pleading and pitiful. But I still discovered that familiar viciousness. With an inevitable momentum. I couldn’t help frowning and quickly took my daughter back to the car. Still shaken, cold sweat broke out on my forehead. Julian handed me a tissue and asked in confusion: “What’s wrong with you today? Are you feeling unwell?” “You didn’t look like yourself just now. Lily is just a kid, no need to be so calculating with her.” My daughter also stared at me pitifully. “Mom, you were so scary today…” I forced myself to relax. I lovingly touched my daughter’s forehead. “Chloe, good deeds should be done, but we must distinguish the situation. Some people will be grateful, and some will be ungrateful.” “You are still young, you will understand later. Everything Mom does is to protect our family.” Facing my husband’s doubtful gaze. I told him everything that happened in my past life as if it were news. Hearing that someone kindly adopted an orphan, only to be bitten back and have the whole family killed. His brows knit tightly, and he said indignantly: “There is such a thing? I blamed you wrongly, honey.” “What you think makes sense. Chloe is still young. It’s enough for us to focus all our energy on her. As for others, it has nothing to do with our family.” Listening to him say this. I leaned back in the passenger seat and closed my eyes to rest. But deep down, I was still a little uneasy. Lily could think of feigning disability at such a young age. Such deep scheming. Since she has targeted my family, can she really let go so easily? It seems we can’t go to this orphanage anymore in the future. Fortunately, Lily is already seventeen. When she becomes an adult, the orphanage will let her leave. By then, she won’t need adoption anymore, and the crisis should be resolved. Because I was too tense, once relaxed, I fell into a deep sleep. In my dream, I seemed to return to my past life. The image of Lily’s sinister smile kept appearing before my eyes. I woke up with a start, covered in cold sweat. The car had already arrived downstairs at our apartment complex. My daughter hopped out of the car, ready to go upstairs. My phone rang at this moment. It was the orphanage director calling. “Ms. Zhang? Hello, sorry to disturb you. You have been sponsoring Lily before. She has been adopted. I’m calling to let you know.” I avoided anything related to Lily like the plague. I casually perfunctory said I knew and hung up the phone. It seems my refusal this time made her target someone else. I hope that family won’t become suckers like me in my past life. I can’t control more things. Back home, I took care of my daughter washing up and sleeping. I lay in bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep. When the clock pointed to three o’clock, the door of the house was knocked. “Bang bang bang—” The force was strong, I sat up in shock. Julian was also woken up and was about to open the door. I hurriedly stopped him. Putting my index finger on my lips signaling him to be quiet. I ran to the door and looked out through the peephole. Lily’s vicious eyes stared wide, meeting mine through the peephole. I instantly went weak with fear. Covering my mouth, trying hard not to make a sound. But she still didn’t give up. After two minutes of silence, her choking cry came in. “Uncle, Auntie, I know you are home. Please save Lily!” “My adoptive parents beat me as soon as they took me home. I risked half my life to escape. If you don’t help, I can only be caught back and wait for death!” “Uncle, Auntie, I beg you! Lily kneels to you!” I don’t know how she found my house. In urgency, Julian was about to open the door for her. I immediately blocked the door. Shouting out through the door panel: “Lily, Uncle and Auntie are asleep. The director said you have been adopted. Legally we are not your guardians, and we have no obligation to take you in. If your adoptive parents come over claiming we abducted a child, we can’t clear our names even if we jump into the Yellow River.” “You better go back. Uncle and Auntie can’t help either. Chloe has to go to school tomorrow, stop shouting.” Julian’s face darkened with disapproval. “Zhang Jing, Lily is just a little girl. Are you too guarded against her? Her legs are disabled and she can’t even walk. What bad things can she do?” “Anyway, just for one night. At dawn tomorrow, I’ll take her to the police station. If not, find someone else to adopt or send her back to the orphanage.” As Julian said this, he was about to open the door. I pushed him two meters away with force. “Haven’t you thought about how she found our home with disabled legs? And how did she get up to the fifteenth floor? There is no ramp for wheelchairs downstairs!” Julian froze instantly. Obviously, he understood what I meant. Lily’s shouting outside the door became louder and louder. Attracting many neighbors. She deliberately tore her clothes to reveal bruises from being beaten all over her body. The neighbors were soon buzzing with discussion. “Whose child is this? How did she find this place? Looking so pitiful with injuries all over. Didn’t this family just come back this afternoon? Why don’t they open the door?” Lily aggrievedly said she was an orphan. Had received sponsorship from my family. After being abused by adoptive parents, she could only find here for help. Hearing this, the neighbors also helped her knock on the door. “Old Julian, this child is quite pitiful. Let her in for a night, won’t you?” “Yeah, it’s not easy for a little girl to run here in the middle of the night. Not a stranger, you helped before, what’s one more time?” “You even changed to a new car. Adopting an orphan doesn’t cost much money. Hurry up and open the door to take her back. Don’t disturb the residents at night.” Seeing no escape, I could only open the door. Lily sat slumped on the ground, covered in bloodstains. Seeing me come out, she immediately moved her lower body and rushed up to hug my thigh. “Auntie, Lily finally found you. Please save my life!” “That family didn’t want to adopt me sincerely at all. They just wanted me to be a child bride for their mentally retarded son! They beat and scolded me when I disagreed, and didn’t give me food.” “If I hadn’t run fast, I would have been dragged to the retard’s bed by now!” She cried tragically. Surrounding neighbors were also full of sympathy. “There are still such animals in a society under the rule of law? Do these deserve to be called humans?” “Old Julian, you and your wife are good people. You go to the orphanage for activities every week. How about taking this child back for adoption? Anyway, you are a company executive, not short of a few meals for her.” “Exactly. Your family only has one daughter. Raising one is raising, raising two is also herding (Chinese idiom, means raising kids isn’t that hard, like herding sheep). It’s fate that she found you from so far away. Keep this child, she’s pitiful.” Julian was already moved by what was said. Without my nod at this moment, he dared not agree rashly. I took the phone from his hand and dialed the emergency number. “Lily, it’s not that Auntie doesn’t care about you. It’s just that the adoption procedures have been done. It’s illegal for us to bring you back. You wouldn’t bear to see Auntie being framed as a human trafficker by your adoptive parents, right?” “The police will investigate properly. If your adoptive parents really have problems, the adoption won’t count. You will still return to live in the orphanage, don’t worry.” With that, I ignored the resentment in her eyes. Explained the situation directly to the police. Neighbors were busy resting, and returned to their own homes seeing the matter resolved. After all, Julian didn’t have the memories of the past life. Fearful that he would be soft-hearted towards Lily. I still chose to take the person to the police station myself. Before leaving, looking at the frightened figure of my daughter in the room. I asked him to comfort our daughter well. While I took Lily into the elevator. On the way, she was still pretending to be pitiful and begging me for adoption. As if the whole world except my family were bad people. But no matter what she said, I remained silent, responding politely. It was already six in the morning when the statement was finished. Lily was left at the police station waiting for her adoptive parents to pick her up. I finally returned home. The fear of surviving a disaster made me sweat cold sweat continuously. I clearly realized that this place has been targeted by Lily. Can’t stay anymore. I spent a day selling the house at home and preparing to move. But unexpectedly, I was still a step too late. At six in the afternoon, my daughter’s homeroom teacher called me. “Chloe’s parent, why didn’t Chloe come to school today? Is she sick? Why didn’t you ask for leave from me?” In an instant, cold sweat soaked my back. The scene of my daughter falling from the building and dying in my previous life flashed through my mind continuously. When I spoke, my voice was trembling with nervousness. “My daughter was sent to school by my husband personally this morning. It’s impossible she’s not there. Is there a mistake? Have you searched everywhere in the school?” “Teacher, a child missing is not a small matter. You can’t joke with me!” The teacher obviously didn’t expect this result, stunned for two seconds before explaining: “Chloe’s parent, I have been in school all day today and indeed haven’t seen Chloe. You said your husband sent her, did the child feel unwell on the way and he took her to the hospital? Why don’t you ask him?” “I have already investigated simply about Chloe’s absence today. High school seniors have tight study schedules and their range of activities is not large. Classmates familiar with Chloe said they haven’t seen her today, nor heard that she was asking for leave today. You better ask the child’s father, don’t let anything really happen.” “High school seniors are under great pressure, in case the child can’t think straight…” I couldn’t hear what the teacher said afterwards. Only one thought in my mind. My daughter is missing. Countless bloody scenes flashed before my eyes. I don’t know how I hung up the phone. When I came back to my senses, I was already sitting on the ground, without half an ounce of strength in my body. I hurriedly dialed Julian’s number with trembling hands. He picked up after ringing for almost a minute. Sounded like he was in a meeting at the company. “What’s wrong, honey? Calling me at this time, shouldn’t you be picking up our daughter at school?” Hearing my husband’s familiar voice, I couldn’t help choking up. “The homeroom teacher just called and said Chloe is missing. Are you sure you sent Chloe to school personally this morning?” “Did you watch her enter the school? Why did a perfectly fine child disappear? How do you be a father!” “The child has no news for a day, what work and meeting are you still doing! Who is the money earned for?” Maybe my tone was too bad. Julian, who usually has a good temper, was also a bit anxious at this time. “I definitely sent the person to the school, but didn’t watch her go in with my own eyes. Where can she run to when she’s already at the school gate? Is the teacher mistaken?” “Chloe is usually so obedient and most active in going to school. Don’t worry first, I’ll go to the school immediately to ask the teacher, if not, call the police. It’s a society ruled by law, a child as big as Chloe will definitely be fine.” Julian’s words reminded me. I was too anxious just now and almost forgot about calling the police. Thinking that Lily was still in the police station last night. There should be no opportunity to commit a crime in a short time. As long as confirming she is still at the police station waiting for her adoptive parents to pick her up, my daughter, even if missing, shouldn’t repeat the tragedy of the previous life. Maybe she is just under too much study pressure. Maybe she just wanted to go out and relax today. I hurriedly dialed the police number to inquire. “Hello, I am the person who sent Lily to the police station last night. Is Lily still in the police station right now?” But the next second, my whole body stiffened, goosebumps all over. “Lily? She was picked up long ago. Forgot to notify you, sorry.” I clenched the phone tightly, just about to say about my daughter’s disappearance. The police continued to speak, tone puzzled. “However, when her adoptive parents came, we questioned them, and the situation was quite different from what she said last night. They took her back just to have an extra daughter. The family already has a mentally retarded son, and the family conditions are not very good. They want to raise a normal child so that they can have a guarantee for their old age.” “Heard from them, when they just picked Lily back, they had already prepared an independent bedroom for the child, bought quite a few new clothes, and changed her wheelchair to a new one. Just don’t know what happened, Lily’s reaction has always been very flat, not like this age at all.” “They thought the child was born disabled and somewhat introverted, so they didn’t think much. As a result, Lily suddenly disappeared at night. If the police hadn’t called, they would have gone crazy with anxiety…” Seeing no reaction from me for a long time, the police thought I was worrying about Lily. Kindly persuaded a few sentences. “Don’t worry too much. Lily is a smart kid, she should be fine. It’s just maybe because she’s an orphan, she has some psychological problems. Now being adopted, family harmonious, should be able to recover slowly.” But I didn’t care about Lily’s situation at all. Only the sentence “their family conditions are not very good” was in my ears.

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In the third year of scamming and cheating the “Crown Prince” of the Beijing circle, I got pregnant. They said the Crown Prince was noble and cold, and wouldn’t tolerate a canary with a cub. So I ran away overnight with the baby. He went crazy and turned the whole city upside down but couldn’t find me. When I was forced to return to the country, the Crown Prince suddenly appeared. Choking my neck: “Chloe Vance, you still know how to come back?” My daughter excitedly hugged his thigh: “Mommy, this is the daddy I found for myself!” My dear daughter, how did you find your own biological father? 1 I was a canary kept outside by Julian Sterling, the “Crown Prince” of the Beijing elite circle. He was a cold-hearted and cold-faced man, who had never liked me. Only occasionally in bed could I feel him slightly losing control. But he had only kept me as his canary, and for three whole years. I looked at the pregnancy report in my hand, clenching my fist. Learning that Julian was at a bar, I rushed over immediately. I couldn’t wait to tell him about my pregnancy. The private room was quiet. The moment I pushed the door open, I heard a voice from inside. It was his best friend’s voice: “Uncle and Auntie have already found a marriage partner for you, the little princess of the Qin family. She’s beautiful, why don’t you just agree?” Julian raised his eyes indifferently: “If you like her, you marry her.” His friend shook his head: “Julian, is that canary of yours really that good? Bewitching you so much.” I expected his answer. But he said nothing. His friend teased: “If that little canary of yours gets pregnant…” Before he could finish, Julian put down his glass. His tone brooked no argument, cold and stiff: “I took precautions, she won’t get pregnant. “She can’t get pregnant either.” His friend smiled ambiguously: “So if she really gets pregnant, you’d make her abort it?” He didn’t speak. I felt like I had fallen into an ice cave. Almost forgot, Julian had always been careful about contraception. He couldn’t tolerate a canary with a child. I turned around and tore the pregnancy report in my hand to shreds. Suddenly felt ridiculous. I actually thought for a moment that he would look forward to the arrival of this child. Long after, I learned that someone in the private room made a dirty remark about me later. Julian crushed the wine glass with a cold face. That night, Julian didn’t come back. I had a nightmare. Dreamed of Julian strangling my neck, his eyes dark and bloodthirsty: “Who do you think you are? “A plaything, how dare you carry a child of the Sterling family?” My face turned red from suffocation, Julian’s cold and ruthless look reflected in my eyes. I woke up with a start. Realized it was a dream and breathed a sigh of relief. I suddenly remembered, Julian wasn’t the noble and indifferent person he appeared to be. He was essentially a cold-blooded and cruel monster. 2 Three years ago, Julian was framed and drugged. When he woke up, I lied to him saying he forced himself on me, demanding he protect me for three years. Actually, that night I knocked him out. I only asked for a shelter. The consequence of scheming against him that time was—I almost died. I thought I would be afraid of him. But unexpectedly, during this period, I fell in love with him. Even more ridiculously, his indulgence towards me during this time made me actually sprout the idea of marrying him, having children, and living an ordinary life. Now, it’s time to wake up. I stroked my lower abdomen. Now, this child is my only relative in the world. I can’t let Julian know about the child’s existence, can’t let him deprive the child of the right to be born. I called Julian’s nemesis, Lucas Chen. He chuckled: “Chloe, you finally called me.” I didn’t let him call me so intimately. I only said: “Take me away, to a place where Julian can’t find me.” 3 Lucas kept his promise and gave me a way to go abroad avoiding Julian’s eyes. But he had one condition, asking me to distract Julian for an hour. This hour was the time I won for myself to escape. I asked why he couldn’t find an excuse to distract Julian. He was silent for a while, then suddenly laughed: “Chloe, I still have to live after you leave. “If Julian finds out I let you go, when he comes knocking, my old man will kill me if he knows.” I pursed my lips: “Maybe Julian won’t come after you for me.” After all, just a canary, dispensable. It was my despicableness, stealing these three years with dishonorable means. He snorted meaningfully: “Who knows.” I begged him, after I leave, never tell Julian where I am. He just laughed, laughing for a long while before stopping. Solemnly promised me. Always felt he had bad intentions, but I quickly ignored this unease in my heart. Julian treated me well usually, I could swipe his card freely, lacking nothing. If it were just me, I wouldn’t take anything. But with the baby, I have to think for her. Using the card Julian gave me, I spent millions in some stores successively. Then promised to give each store ten thousand, asking them to exchange it for cash for me. Julian called when he received the consumption notifications. His tone was indifferent as always. “What else do you need? I’ll have Harry buy it for you.” I felt guilty: “No… no need… I just bought some things randomly.” He hummed, as if just asking on a whim. I don’t know where I got the courage, suddenly asked: “Julian, are you just playing with me?” After speaking, I was stunned for two seconds. Not hearing a reply from the other side, I quickly said I was possessed just now, and hung up immediately. Time passed, everything was ready. When Julian came back, I was extra enthusiastic, leaning up to hug him, kissing his chin randomly. Finding his lips, kissing again. His hands gripped my waist tight, breath slightly heavy. Before the last step, I called stop. Claiming my period came. The lust in his eyes receded, big palm landing on my lower abdomen. Frowning: “Period early? Ate something cold? I’ll take you to see a doctor tomorrow.” My heartbeat accelerated, face slightly hot, quickly declined. I’m not an expressive person, neither is he. But today, I just wanted to cling to him like this, asking for kisses, acting spoiled, attracting his attention. I mumbled: “Really want to eat the pear blossom pastry from the night market in the West District…” He responded: “I’ll have Harry buy it.” “No…” I leaned up to kiss him, blinking my eyes staring at him: “I just want you to buy it. That shop might close soon, but I want to eat it today.” His body was a bit stiff, not used to me being like this. Meeting my gaze as if exploring, I blinked at him again. He seemed to sigh faintly: “Okay.” I continued: “Be nice when you get there, don’t scare people.” He responded again: “Okay.” Julian never had anyone watch me. After he left, I immediately dialed Lucas’s number. Before leaving, I sent him a scheduled message: [Julian, let’s end this. Three years are up, I won’t pester you anymore.] By the time I arrive, he should receive the message. I was really crazy to think Julian would go mad looking for me. Lucas didn’t know why I left, but he advised me one sentence: “Since you left, don’t come back. Julian is a lunatic. If he finds out you played him and came back, he might really kill you.” But four years later, I still came back. 4 Four years later. I appeared at the airport again, stepping on the road back to the country. After landing, I went to the restroom. When I came out, my daughter Sunny hugged me: “Mommy, Sunny just found herself a handsome daddy!” I took it as a joke. I didn’t tell anyone about coming back, only my best friend. Sunny and I are staying at her place temporarily. In these few years, I established my own career abroad and became a somewhat famous fashion designer. Coming back this time, firstly, I was invited to participate in Fashion Week. Secondly, I got news that I actually have a sister. Besides my daughter, I have another close relative in this world. I want to find her. So I risked returning to the capital. Four years ago, I saw someone took a set of photos. Julian queuing to buy snacks at the night market. A faint smile on his lips. Holding a box of pear blossom pastries in his hand. Netizens were confused, the Crown Prince actually came to the night market. He was a clean freak, always resisted eating at such small stalls and restaurants. I still keep the few photos about him in my phone. Later, seeing news about him again was all over the internet about Julian leading the Sterling Group to the world. Beside him, there was also a beautiful figure. It was the apple of the Qin family’s eye. He was already surrounded by stars, after this, the difference between us was like clouds and mud. My best friend asked if I still had feelings for Julian. I shook my head. My dream woke up long ago.

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When the “Crown Prince” of the city’s elite circle pursued me, he gave me BMWs and luxury villas. My best friend said relying on a man is worse than relying on yourself. I believed her words, decisively rejected the Crown Prince, and returned all those gifts. Heartbroken, the Crown Prince went abroad and died in a conflict zone. As a result, I lived my whole life as an ordinary white-collar worker, working myself to death for a monthly salary of a few thousand dollars. It wasn’t until I fell seriously ill from overwork that my best friend said to me: “You were destined to soar, but who told you to be stupid enough to believe whatever I said? Seeing you living worse than me makes me feel balanced.” As I spat blood in anger, she took the opportunity to pull my oxygen tube, letting me die in the hospital bed. Turns out, her words were never for my own good. After rebirth, looking at the Crown Prince who was about to buy me a luxury villa, I smiled sweetly: “Let’s date!” Refusing money, I was indeed a fool in my past life. As for my best friend, I want her to be insanely jealous but unable to do anything to me. 1 “Gardenia (Zhizhi), do you like this house?” Julian King reached out to open the car door for me, pointing at the European-style villa in front of us, asking with a smile, his eyes full of joy expecting praise. “You want to give it to me?” I raised my head blankly, looking at the vivid Julian in front of me and my own fair and tender hands, realizing with hindsight that I had actually been reborn. Reborn to the time when I hadn’t rejected Julian yet, and he hadn’t gone abroad heartbroken and died in a conflict zone. At this moment, his smile was warm and gentle, like a ray of warm sun. The thing I regretted most in my past life wasn’t rejecting the immense wealth, but regretting letting such a deeply affectionate person die abroad because of my rejection. It could be said he died because of me. I thought more than once, if I hadn’t chosen to reject him back then, he wouldn’t have died young abroad. “Yes, this way you don’t have to worry about being kicked out by the landlord every day. It’s not a loan, I’ll choose to pay in full so you have no worries, okay?” Julian asked me cautiously, afraid I would be angry with him and ignore him. Actually, he didn’t need to be so careful with me. He never owed me anything. Instead, I accepted his kindness again and again but refused to agree to be with him for a long time. Just because my best friend, Chloe Xu, would brainwash me under the banner of being for my own good every time Julian showed kindness to me. “A rich young master like Julian can’t be sincere to you.” “Relying on a man is worse than relying on yourself. Reject him! We want to be independent women.” 2 But in fact, I wasn’t cut out to be an independent “big woman” at all. My knowledge and vision were too ordinary. In my past life, after rejecting him, I worked hard and down-to-earth for my career for twenty years. For this, I even chose not to marry, thinking that heaven rewards diligence, and my hard work would definitely pay off. But in the end, before I died, my salary was only five thousand a month, and I worked myself into a body full of ailments. Because there are too many ordinary corporate workers like me, a dime a dozen. I could be replaced at any time. I wasn’t cut out to be a heroine. But it’s different with Julian. He thinks I’m special, he likes me. This villa he casually gave me is worth eight figures. It’s an existence where I couldn’t even afford a toilet inside even if I worked hard all my life. In my last life, I rejected his proposal and turned away, wasting his good intentions. So in my last life, three days later, I was kicked out of my rental because the landlord raised the price temporarily. I simply deserved it. But now, I accepted it generously: “I accept, thank you for your gift, I like it very much. I can finally say goodbye to the landlord’s face that raises prices at any time.” Seeing me accept his gift for the first time, Julian happily called the agent waiting aside: “Come here, bring the contract for her to sign. My secretary will transfer the money to your account in an hour.” So a luxury house worth tens of millions was added to my name, and Julian didn’t feel the pinch at all. During the meal, he told me: “I’m very happy you could accept my kindness. “You know what? The location of this house is particularly good, and your neighbors are all very kind people. This villa really suits you perfectly. Living here in the future, I can work with more peace of mind, not worrying about you being troubled by the landlord at any time. “And you don’t need to have any psychological burden. Its existence is just a kind gift from me. Not a bargaining chip for me to force you to be with me. You don’t need to have any psychological burden.” This villa was actually carefully selected by him. Such a good man, only giving, not asking for return! I must have been blind and blind-hearted in my past life to listen to Chloe’s words and push him away. I only thought Chloe was doing it for my own good at the time, never thinking that Chloe was jealous of me. Her own life was a mess, and she didn’t want me to live a good life either. Actually, if she had good intentions back then, after I got together with Julian and lived a good life, I would definitely have helped her as a best friend. Originally we could have gone up a level together, but she wanted to drag me into the mud with her. At this moment, my hatred for her reached its peak. I can’t wait to see her breakdown. 3 When Julian drove me downstairs to my rental apartment, he looked nervous: “Can I go up and sit for a while? Just drink some water and leave.” Heard that before meeting me, Julian was not good with words and had a bad childhood experience. Maybe because when he was an intern at the grassroots level of our company, I thought he was an ordinary employee and helped him when he was made difficult by other employees, he was very willing to contact me and very active. He is different from those men with many tricks. He said going up to drink water meant just drinking water and leaving. He didn’t have those crooked intestines (bad intentions). He was satisfied just looking at me a few more times. This time I didn’t reject him: “Sure! Just right for you to know the door. If possible, come help me move tomorrow morning! I want to move into the new home you gave me quickly.” Julian didn’t expect me, who was always polite but wary and distant towards him, to make exceptions for him again and again today. The raised corners of his mouth never came down. He followed me upstairs excitedly, chattering: “You agree to let me help you move? What time tomorrow? Is 6 am too early? How about 8 am? Need a moving company? I’ll contact one!” In the past, I would have disliked him being too attentive, but now I find his love-brained look strangely cute. I thought about it and responded to him: “8:30! By then, I should have packed up.” Julian quickly nodded and noted it down. Then he really followed me back to the rental room, drank a cup of warm water and left. I put a little osmanthus honey in that water, hoping he would have a sweet dream tonight. What made me feel very comfortable was that he didn’t show a disgusted expression because my rental room was small throughout the whole process. He said, a girl coming out to strive on her own, being able to have such a small nest shows that I have worked very hard. Quite good at comforting people. 4 After he left, I pretended to call Chloe inadvertently: “Julian said he wanted to give me a villa today, do you think I should accept it?” Chloe, who was still working overtime on Saturday over there, was extremely resentful: “Of course don’t accept it, others will treat you as a gold digger if you do. Reject him! You must reject him fiercely.” I pretended to be ignorant and nodded: “Okay! I originally thought, if you like this villa, I could pass it on to you. Since you think this is more like gold digging, I’d better reject it! A house worth more than ten million.” Chloe, who originally wanted to persuade me to continue rejecting, seemed to be drinking water, and then she choked on the water. After coughing several times, she quickly asked me: “How much did you say? A house worth more than ten million? Could it be a trap? Did he ask you to take a loan? Does decoration still need a large sum of money? That’s a means to manipulate you; he wants to control you with money.” I shook my head: “I went to see the house, in Cloud District, fully furnished. He said he paid in full. If you don’t want it, forget it.” I said, pretending to hang up the phone. Even Chloe, who was bent on persuading me to stay away from Julian, was severely moved when she heard about the villa worth ten million. She shouted loudly to stop me: “Don’t hang up yet! Who said I don’t want it? You are going to be self-improving in the future. Let me do this kind of gold-digging thing! You accept his kindness first, then immediately transfer the house to me. This way you can also maintain your persona of not bowing for money.” But when did I ever want to set up some broken persona of not bowing for money? What is the meaning of living if not to make money? Didn’t she always shout at me not to accept any gifts from Julian before? Why doesn’t she shout at me not to rely on men but rely on myself at this time? Turns out she has always been a double-standard dog. That set of rhetoric before was just to fool me. Just because I was simple and easy to cheat, she wanted to destroy my bright and brilliant future? Really too vicious. How could I be so stupid back then to think she was thinking for me? I was simply stupid to death in my past life. 5 “Gardenia, why aren’t you talking? Are you moved by my act of self-sacrifice? “You don’t need to thank me too much. In the future, whenever Julian says he wants to give you anything, just throw it to me without burden. I’ll bear it for you. Also don’t reject too hard, keep him hooked first.” In front of money, Chloe opened her mind instantly. Originally wanting to persuade me to stay away from Julian, now she hopes I can get more, get for her. Really shameless enough. “But, didn’t you always say to let me reject him before? Let me think about it carefully! I don’t know for a moment whether to listen to what you say now or what you said before.” After finishing, I hung up the phone directly at her most expectant moment. I think without my accurate answer, Chloe should be tossing and turning tonight, unable to sleep no matter what. You know that’s ten million! Ten million that she would find hard to earn in a lifetime no matter how she struggled. If she didn’t get it in the end because of my hesitation, I think she would regret it for life. Sure enough, five minutes later, Chloe took the initiative to call me: “Gardenia, I thought carefully. My previous thoughts were not mature enough. You can actually treat him…” Without waiting for her to finish, I smiled and took the conversation: “You want to say neither riches nor honors can corrupt, neither poverty nor humble condition can swerve, neither threats nor force can subdue? I’ve heard you say this many times. I will consider it seriously. Going to sleep first.” After speaking, I hung up her phone directly, then turned it off, and went to get my beauty sleep. Actually, about half an hour later, Chloe came downstairs to my rental apartment. She shouted downstairs, wanting to see me, wanting to persuade me to accept that villa and give it to her. But I pretended not to hear directly, rolled over and continued sleeping. Anyway, there is access control downstairs, she can only shout downstairs. Without the access password, she can’t come up. And because this building is full of working people, being woken up when falling asleep caused great resentment. Without me stopping her, the middle-aged aunt upstairs was already cursing at Chloe downstairs: “Middle of the night, shouting what? If you don’t leave, I’ll splash water.” The young man downstairs also raised a wine bottle aimed at Chloe downstairs: “If you disturb my gaming again, I’ll smash you.” Scaring Chloe into fleeing with her head in her hands, leaving unwillingly…

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